Self-playing instrument.



L 0 0 2. V. a M d e t n e t .a P A nn 0 L F L L 4, 0 0 7 nw N SELFPLAYING lNTnumENT.

(Application med Nov. 25, 1901.)

(No Model.)

WHNESSES m /VE R m A me mams PETERS ca, wow-urna., wAsHmuToN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLSWORTH E. FLORA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,.ASSIGNOR TO FAR- RAND 'ORGANCOMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORA- TION OF MICHIGAN.

SELF-PLAYING INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 700,413, dated May 20,1902.

Application filed November 25, 1901. Serial No. 83,549. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ELLsWoETH E. FLORA, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,haveinvented a newand useful Improvementin Self-Playing Instruments andAttachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to self-playing instruments and playingattachments for pianos and organs. Its main object has been to provideWithin the instrument or attachment means whereby-the operator may varythe musical effects produced in playing by shutting oif some of thenotes-as, for instance, the base notes may by the invention be Wholly orpartly suppressed during the playing of a melody by the upper notes, andwhen the base has the melody the higher notes may be suppressed in thesame manner. These and many other variations from the music-sheet arerendered possible by the invention, so that the operator by the exerciseof his fancy may have different renderings at his command of the samepiece. The means employed for this purpose consist of a series ofmufiers arrangedin proximity to the trackerrange and adapted to be movedinto contact With the music-sheet as it passes over the same, and thusto prevent the entrance of the air into the range-passages through theperforations in the sheet. I make these mufiiers so that each will closethe openings of several notes-six or eight, for instanceand operate themby means of finger-keys which are supported in any convenient way at thefront of the instrument or attachment, and preferably by an inner cover,which is placed over the music-sheet and rollers to deaden or concealany noise given off by them.

The nature of myimproveinent Will be fully understood from thedescription thereof given belowvand from the accompanying drawings, inWhich- Figure l is a front elevation of that part of an instrument orplaying' attachment to which my invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is avertical section. Fig. 8 is a detail section showing the device forlocking the inner cover when raised.

In said drawings, 5 represents the trackerrange, 6 the usual perforatedmusic-sheet,

and 7 '7 the rollers carrying the sheet. In front of the tracker-rangeand in close proximity thereto are the series of mufliers S S,consisting of plates or squares of soft felt or cloth, mounted on theupper ends of levers or keys 9 S). These levers or keys are adapted tobe depressed to carry the mu'filers against the 1n usic-sheet as itnieves over the trackerrange, and for that purpose they are located infront of the music-sheet and Where the operator can conveniently reachthem. I prefer to pivot them loosely on a rod 10, supported in the innercover 1l, and t0 make openings in the latter for the finger-pieces 1212, with which each lever or key is provided and by pressing on whichthel operator moves the inuiiiers into action. The keys or levers attheir upper ends are provided with plates or enlargements 15, adapted tosupport the muffiing material 8, and springs 1I keep the keys in theirnormal or non-acting positions, as will be seen at Fig. 2.

As will be understood from what has already been said, each mufiier islarge enough to shut off a number of the notes, and I have shown eightas covering a tracker-range of the ordinary compass. Any one or more ofthem can be depressed at will, and thus prevent the sounding of thenotes of the instrument controlled by the trackerpassages, which arethus cut olf, and they may bekept in action for long or short periods,as desired, and by their aid the operator is enabled to vary the musicaleffects of the pieces played to a much greater extent than is nowpossible.

The inner cover referred to is pivoted at the back edge of its topportion upon studpivots l5 and extends from-thence over and down infront of the music-rollers. It practically covers the Well in which themusicrolls are located, though it does not effect an air-tight closureof the same or in any Way affect the supply of air to the trackerrange.A recess 1G is formed in it for the speed-regulating lever 17 andanother at 1S for the power-regulating lever 19. It is capable of beingturned upon pivots 15 to permit changing the music-sheet, and it is alsopreferably made transparent at 20, so that the operator may be enabledto read the direetions as to speed and expression given on IOO themusic-sheet. It is indented or let inward along its front, as shown, sothe fingerpieces l2 may be positioned at convenient incline andsufficiently near the regulating devices 17 and 19 to enable them to beoperated by the ngers without removing the hands from those devices. Thecover ll is closed except when the music-sheets are being changed; butit is in no sense a substitute for the ordinary outer cover, a portionof which is shown at 2l and by which the Well is closed when theinstrument or attachment is not in use. lVhen turned up, the mutliingdevices are out of the Way, so they do not interfere with the changingmusicsheets.

The cover ll is desirably provided with means whereby it may be lockedin the open position, and for this purpose one of the ears 22, attachedto the cover and receiving the pivot l5, is provided with a spring 28,extending downward, and when the cover is raised this spring rides overthe incline 24- and catches on top of the same, and thus locks the coveragainst closing. To the end of this spring is attached an operating-rod25, traveling in the curved slot 2G and extending to the outside of theinstrument or t0 some point Where the rod can be pushed upon to forcethe spring off from the top of the incline 24.

I claiml. The combination with the music-sheet and tracker-range of aself-playing instrument or playingattachment, of means adapted to be putin operation While playing automatically and serving to prevent the airfrom entering the range-passages when they are uncovered by theperforations in the music-sheet, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the music-sheet and tracker-range of aself-playing instrument or playing attachment, of means operable by handWhile playing automatically and serving to prevent the air from enteringthe range-passages when they are uncovered by the perforations in themusic-sheet, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with the music-sheet and tracker-range of aself-playing),` instrument or playing attachment, of muflierscontrolling different tracker-range openings and adapted to bepositioned against the sheet and over the tracker-range during theautomatic playing, and thus to exclude the air from the range or anyportion or portions thereof desired, substantially as specified.

Lt. The combination with the music-sheet and tracker-range of aself-playing instrument or playing` attachment, of a series of mulilersadapted to be positioned at Will over the tracker-range and eachcovering and excluding the air from a plurality ofthe rangepassages,substantially as specified.

5. The combination with the music-sheet and tracker-range of aself-playing instrument or playing attachment, of means for excludingthe air from the tracker-range passages when uncovered by theperforations of the sheet, such means being operable by finger-keys,substantially as specified.

G. The combination with the music-sheet and tracker-range of aself-playing instrument or playing attachment, of means operable byfinger-keys t'or excluding the air from the range-passages whenuncovered by the sheet, and an inner cover for the sheet and itsrollers, acting also to support said keys, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with the music-sheet and tracker-range of aself-playing instrument or playing attachment, of mulllers for mulilingportions of the tracker-range, and an inner cover ll by which saidmuifiers are supported, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with the music-sheet and tracker-range of aself-playing instrument or playing attachment, of mul'llers for mnlllingportions of the tracker-range, and a hinged inner cover by which themuillers are supported and moved out of the Way when changing thesheets, substantially as specihed.

Q. The combination in aself-playing instrument orplaying attachment, ofa music-sheet, music-sheet rollers and tracker-range located in a wellin the instrument or attachment, an outer cover for closing the Wellwhen the instrument or attachment is not being used, an inner cover forthe well adapted to suppress the noises made by the rollers, andinulfiing devices supported by said cover and acting to inutile portionsof the range, substantially as specified.

ELLSWOR'll-l E. FLORA.

Witnesses EDW. S. Evnnrs, ll. lil. MUNDAY.

IOO

